Homeoming Pre-Game
by Entwife Incognito
Summary: Two years had passed for Chief Lisbon. Without Patrick Jane. When she had two secret visitors in the night, she knew her life was about to change and she met it gladly. Fluffyish. A one-shot sure to be AU after "My Blue Heaven" airs. That's why it's rushed. Warning! Adult sexual content. If you don't like that stuff, don't read this! Disclaimer: The Mentalist? Don't own any of it.


Two years. Two years gone. She didn't want to be that woman, but still she pined. She waited yet, when others would have given up long ago. But where other women might have withered and dried, she ripened full and juicy, red in all the right places on milky skin flecked with milk chocolate freckles. As if she stayed on the tree unplucked, soaking up sun and rain, she would do nothing but fill with sugar and juice, ready to feed a hungry soul with the life only she could give. Her bosom was firm and still held high, the orbs attracting the eye of any who appraised her. A body slender and slight, belying its swiftness and strength. No one failed to watch her ass when she was turned away, even surreptitiously under half-lidded eyes. Her clear, green eyes could stun the truth out of any of the locals.

The sight of her whetted the appetite. But she was food for no man in these parts. Spurning all advances, she was assumed to be a lesbian, but no courting woman felt her favor. She had friends from her old life, a few, that would visit on occasion. She sought no other company, but was friendly to all in the course of a day's work, attending all the expected functions, seeming to enjoy herself, easy in the company of whoever was there. She went home alone and no one was ever seen to stay the night, no car or cycle parked, no bike or horse tethered outside. Everyone supposed it was for the best, given her office as police chief. Easier to do the job if you had no other life.

Her other life was far away, whereabouts unknown. Maybe her old Number One, Kimball Cho, knew. She didn't want to know, didn't want to be leverage in the FBI's open case on Patrick Jane, her life. Cho ensured she got his missives and trinkets, little everyday things warming her like breath on cold fingers, knowing he was thinking of her still through the course of his day, whatever filled it. His letters arrived regularly enough, and small found treasures from a beach somewhere in the world. He did not sound well, alone and bereft in somebody's paradise. Bereft of her. Alone with the ghosts of his slain family channeled through the rift left by the death, at his hand, of their murderer.

Life was cruel beyond imagining.

Chief Teresa Lisbon came home one evening in the fall when the time change made it dark so early, toting hamburger meat and buns and prepared potato salad. As she turned her key in the lock, she wondered what wine would go with potato salad. But she stopped in the entryway, something off, the air just not right and a small lamp burning in the far corner of the living room. The hairs on the back of her neck rose. Setting the sack down quietly, she opened her holster with a muffled snap and rounded the corner in perfect stance with her gun drawn.

"Don't move! I've got a gun trained on you right now. Don't make me use it."

"Teresa, don't shoot!"

"Kimball?" She flipped the light switch and lowered her gun as he stood up. "Jesus! You should know better than to break into my place. You know how reactive we all are after what we went through."

"Sorry. Had to. I didn't want to be spotted or anyone to know I was here."

"Anyone? Not just the town folk then."

"No one."

Teresa's heart fell. Something must be terribly wrong, and it had to be about Jane. "What's happened? What happened to Patrick?"

"Whoa, whoa, whoa! Nothing's happened to Jane. Come on now, Teresa. At least come say hi to me first and I'll tell you what's going on. But shut off that light. Let's keep everything dim as we can."

Teresa hit the switch and crossed the room to exchange a bear hug with Cho. " You scared the hell out of me. How are you? How is life, Cho?"

"It's good. It's good. I'm engaged now. Still in Austin."

"Engaged? To Mandy?" When he nodded and smiled, she hugged him again. "Congratulations! I'm so happy for you."

"What about you? Any changes in your life?"

"Oh, no, not at all really. Being Chief of Police takes up all my time. It's good to keep busy."

Cho looked at her and his heart constricted to see her loneliness. It wasn't natural. Especially for someone in love.

"What?" Teresa said a little defensively. "You try it sometime."

"Yeah, yeah. You got it so hard. I know."

"Have you eaten?"

"No. Whatcha got?"

"Just gonna make some burgers. Follow me to the kitchen and we'll open the wine. Be eating in no time."

"Sounds great."

They ate at the kitchen table. The room was in the back of the house and afforded no visibility from the street.

"Come on, now. I've waited long enough. Tell me what's going on."

"Okay. Well it is about Jane." He held up a hand when he saw her eyes go wide. "No. No. It's good, I think."

"Well, what then?"

"The FBI wants him to come back and work cases for them."

Lisbon exhaled in a snort and made a rude noise with her lips. "Jane. Work for the FBI. Is he going to take it?"

"They'll drop the charges against him if he will."

"You're telling me they've found him?"

"Yeah. They got a bead on him from that shell on your desk. Don't ask me how. Sent an agent down to scout him out, make him comfortable, lure him in."

"Fat chance."

"I know. He spotted her right away."

Lisbon frowned. "Her. They set a honey-trap for him?"

"No. No, that wasn't the real intent."

Lisbon cocked her head and drew in her chin, preparing to be hurt by the next bit of news.

Cho was speaking fast, now, wanting to get everything out before Teresa got the wrong idea. "Look. He tried to play her. She tried to play him. First thing he did was flash his wedding ring at her."

"He's still wearing his ring?" This really surprised Teresa and it did not seem like a sign that he was healing. It confirmed what she was able to tweak from his letters.

"He's not in good shape, Teresa, at least not emotionally. He's still sharp as a tack and he's fit. He's just, well, really depressed. And lonely."

She nodded and lowered her head. It hurt deeply to know for sure that he was not doing well. But, really, what did all this have to do with her?

"You haven't told me why it's such a secret that you're here, Cho. Why all the cloak and dagger?"

"My people don't know I'm here."

"Why?"

"It's supposed to be hush-hush. You know how they are. Like to keep people in the dark, spring things on them, ambush them into doing what they want 'em to do. That's how they want to handle it with you."

"So . . . you came to warn me. About what?"

"That Jane might be coming in."

"What's that got to do with me? That's FBI. I'm police chief here." She held out her arms and shrugged, waiting for Cho's response.

"They don't know it yet, but I know Jane. He won't work for them. They're gonna play hardball. And you know how he reacts to that. They might even nab him and throw him in the penitentiary just to prove a point."

"That's really bad. But we both know that Jane will figure out a way to get away."

"I don't think so." Cho looked carefully into Lisbon's eyes. "I don't think he wants to get away."

"What? Is he that depressed, that he wants to come back to the states and face life in prison?"

"No. Not at all. If that was it, he'd escape them for sure." He paused. "Look, Teresa. I think he wants to come back. He wants to come back to you. At least to work with you, be around you as much as he can. That's when he was happy. Even when he was chasing Red John."

"Now I'm really confused, Cho."

"Don't play games,. There's no time for it and I'm not stupid. You know he loves you. He's going to try to make a play that lets him get back to you. I'm just trying to let you know so you can be ready. Be thinking about what you want to do."

"I'm doing what I want to do. This is a nice job. People respect me as their Chief."

"I'm sure that's true. This is the deal. Jane is going to be willing to deal with the FBI if he gets to work with you. And he's gonna be pretty hard-ass about it."

Lisbon stood up and started pacing, then returned to the table to pour more wine into their glasses. She didn't sit down. She could feel the hot flush move along her skin as it warmed her face. "The FBI's not going to hire me. And anyway, they treated me like shit. I don't want to work for them."

"You don't know how bad they want him."

"Really? Well, he closes cases, that's for sure. I sure wanted to keep him. Makes the unit look good. When he's not making a complete mess for someone to clean up." She had to smile a little at the thought of Jane tying the FBI into knots trying to hang onto him.

"Is that all?"

"Jesus, Cho, do you know how many times I've been asked that question? Why does everybody want to throw me into Patrick Jane's arms?"

Cho gave her a hard stare, leaned back in his chair and folded his arms. "That's not where you want to be?"

Teresa stuck her hands in her pocket, lowered her head and flapped her elbows in a kind of shrug. "How I feel about Jane is my own business."

"Yeah. Right. Okay, Teresa. Just forget I was here and keep doing what you're doing. I'll see you later." Pushing back his chair, he made to stand up.

"Wait. Wait. Okay. I do care about Jane."

Cho folded his arms again and stared at her, allowing a puff of exasperation to escape his lips.

"All right," she said very quietly. "I do love him." She looked sternly at Cho. "That doesn't mean we're planning a life together, or even that it would be possible. Or even what I'd ultimately want."

"Nobody's trying to rent a church for you. What you do about what you feel is your business. But get ready to be approached to work for the FBI and with Jane. And don't be surprised if he turns up at your doorstep to try to convince you. I just felt you should have some lead time, okay?"

"Yeah, sure. Thanks."

"Personally, I don't think either of your investigative talents should go to waste. And certainly not the pair of you teaming up to do it. You'd be crackerjack."

"Crackerjack? Where'd you pick that up, Cho?" Lisbon chuckled. "Did the FBI send you here to soften me up?"

"No. I wouldn't do that. If they made me, I'd tell you the deal straight up. You should know that. But I understand why you'd have questions, so no problem. Do what you want. But just get ready."

"Okay. Thanks, I guess."

"Now, give me a ride to the airstrip north of town. I gotta go."

"What? No trench coat and sunglasses?"

"I'll slouch down in the seat. It'll be good enough."

On the way back from the airstrip, Lisbon's mind was racing. Work for the FBI? Impossible. They had no respect for her. Come on board because Jane wanted her there? Would that make him her supervisor? No. That wouldn't work. Even the FBI wouldn't be that stupid. She would have to come on as an agent and he would be her consultant, like it had always been. Only a lot had changed.

Getting out of her car, she headed up the walk to her front door. She must have forgotten to turn on the porch light when she took Cho to his plane.

And, what was she thinking anyway? She had a good job and an important place in the community. Yes, it lacked the excitement of her years at the CBI. But she did a lot of good here. People relied on her. Well, people would rely on her wherever she was. That's who she was. Was she really thinking of taking the job? Lisbon snorted and then gave a wry laugh. Trying to figure out if she would take a job she hadn't even been offered yet, wasn't even supposed to know about.

She unlocked the door and walked in, noting the small lamp was still on in the next room where Cho had been sitting. Her gun unholstered, she removed her badge and set them both on the small table by the door.

Patrick Jane. What about him? Her heart sped up at the mere thought of seeing him again. How did he look now? His letters told her he was the same inside, maybe a little warmer, certainly more open about his wish to see her, missing her. But, what if they did work together again? Things would be different. Red John was long dead and would not stop them from . . . from what?

The path to the kitchen was dark but she needed no light to get there. There was still dinner to clean up. Flipping the light on, Lisbon started clearing the table and ran soapy water in the sink for the dishes. The dishwasher rarely saw use since it was easier to clean a few plates and glasses by hand than have them molding in the there until she could scrape together a full load. Besides, she didn't have enough clean dishes to leave them sitting indefinitely in a dishwasher.

While she worked mindlessly through the mundane tasks, she thought of Jane. Perhaps it would be more correct to say she fantasized about him. They had grown so close towards the end, strong feelings of attraction awakened in both of them. It was undeniable, but never openly expressed. Except for that wonderful, doomed hug on the cliff. Before he ditched her there and nearly got himself blown to bits, the jackass!

Several times, she thought he was going to kiss her. Only respect for his feelings, his need to concentrate on his takedown of Red John, had kept her from throwing herself into his arms and taking the first kiss from him. She'd never had that kiss. Sometimes that loss nearly broke everything she was, rending her heart to bloody, aching pieces. Those were very bad days. And near intolerable nights. Lisbon could feel herself sinking into one now.

By the time she showered and crawled into bed, Lisbon had been crying for an hour. Her eyes salt–burned and aching. her sinuses swollen, in the wee hours she finally lapsed into a restless sleep, breathing through her mouth. And she dreamed.

He was stroking her hair, murmuring in the dark about its silky waves, lifting it, smoothing it into place away from her face. Her back to him, his large hand was on her shoulder and she could feel the warmth of his breath flood her ear and flow down her neck. The unknown things he whispered swept into her veins with her heating blood and she moaned unknown things to him in the darkness, aroused and squirming still asleep. One hand tucked between her legs squeezed through her thin pajama bottoms while the other found and pressed a breast, rubbing her palm across the nipple.

She called his name and felt soft lips kiss behind her ear, sudden moist warmth as he tongued the lobe. "Patrick."

"I'm here."

Everything seemed possible in her dream, but she stood sobbing on a dark precipice, frozen in fear of an endless fall, peering into the dark and seeing nothing. In her bed, Lisbon's hands gripped her body tighter, crying his name again, so futile, so lost. The distress woke her, ravaged eyes burning again from her tears, head aching and nose running.

"Don't cry, Teresa. Don't cry. I'm here."

This was a special torture sent from hell to her pitch-black room in the moonless night. Now she didn't know if she was awake and hallucinating or still dreaming. But her attention shifted, the heat in her female flesh insistent, responding quickly to her squeezing hand and experienced fingers. She started to unbutton her pajama top in order to hold her naked breast.

When a hand caressed her back, she froze in fear, her gasp high-pitched and sharp in the dark. "I'm an officer of the law. If you know what's good for you, you'll get out of this house right now."

"I know what's good for me, and she's right here in this room."

That voice! It couldn't be . . . but it could. If anyone could sneak away from the feds and find his way into her room, it would be . . . "Jane? Jane!"

Standing over her, his hand held her back in place but she turned her head as he bent over to bring his face into her view. "Jane!"

"Lisbon, I've missed you. I'm sorry to come to you like this, but I had to get away in secrecy."

"I'm so glad to see you! I'm—"

"I know. I was here while you were dreaming. When you called out for me. You nearly broke my heart, wanting me, Teresa. I didn't plan it this way. But I'm here now and I want you, too." He had massaged her neck, then down her spine and was now massaging her lower back, still preventing her from turning over. "You look so beautiful, just as you are."

Her body thrummed under his touch. It wasn't a standard greeting, but she wanted them to make love now. Before something happened and it was too late, as had always happened before. "Patrick, we've known each other twelve years. We both know where we were headed before . . . before you had to leave. We've read each other's letters over the past two years. And now we're here together, wanting each other. What more is there to talk about?" Her fingers were still at the top button of her pajamas and she moved them to undo the button.

"I want to do that." His hesitation was a request for permission.

She looked into his eyes and nodded as he leaned over and began to open her top, but before he could bend to her breast, she caught him and forced his mouth to hers for a hungry, long-delayed kiss. His breath grew hotter and hotter until he pulled away, gasping for air, then curled over her side to tongue and suckle her breast while his other hand explored the mounds of her bottom through her pajamas, squeezing and tucking his fingers into every crease, pressing them into the warm mouth under her bottom that beckoned him with its moist heat.

Then he rounded her hip to where her hand was still tucked into her sex, rubbing the top of her hand with his fingers and tucking them on top of hers, riding them lightly as she moved. When she slid her hand away, his took over, petting her labia softly with a finger on each. He could feel her warmth through the thin fabric of her pajamas, sense the short curls of silky hair that lightly covered her skin underneath.

Slipping his arm under her shoulders, he lifted her for a kiss, drinking her in like clear water, exploring the softness of her mouth as she yielded to him, eagerly caressing his tongue with hers. He used his nails to scratch at the fabric covering her sex, begging her to let him in.

Lisbon began to feel her clothing as a tease, her labia swollen and buzzing under his fingers while her neglected clitoris throbbed for attention. When Jane removed his hand completely, she whined and put her own hand back, desperate to fondle her clit. He captured her wrist and brought her hand to his lips, sampling the soft scent of her musk as he whisper-kissed her fingers gently and uttered a low, husky, "Not yet." Unbuttoning the rest of her top, he bared the front of her torso completely to play at her breasts with his fingers while he continued to kiss her.

Her skin warmed his fingertips with the heat of her passion and he toyed with her nipples, rolling and brushing them until they stood high. When it seemed she would come, so sensitive with this play alone, he stopped and began to caress her belly before he slipped his hand under her pajama bottoms. She cried out in anticipation of his longed-for touch. Her hair was short and so silky, heaven to his fingertips but he didn't linger there as he saw her hips lift for more. She turned toward him, opened his pants and sighed as his trousers fell away. He pushed his underwear down for her and before he could step out, she held his blood-filled cock in both of her small hands, whimpering and writhing as she tried to deal with her own stimulation, making it difficult to put his hand back on her.

"Oh god. Teresa, move over. I want to lie next to you." He removed the jacket and shirt he still wore while she slipped her pajama top off her arms.

Now it was easy to explore her plump cloven flesh and kiss her at the same time. Now they were finally making love! She handled his genitals as if she loved them, touching, caressing, probing with an easy hand everywhere, stroking him to near ecstasy. His moisture cooled where she smeared it over the head of his rigid shaft. He had to pull away or she'd have him off before he could explore her if they didn't slow down. But he felt her urgency and shared it, so he caught the band of her pajamas and shoved them down. Lisbon brought her legs up so that he could pull them off and toss them to the side. Then she opened to him, pink and glistening, and he wasted no time, but slid his middle finger directly into the part of her vulva, letting it ride over her fat, standing clit and into a well of slick. She called out loudly and grabbed his arm with both hands, tears rolling over her cheeks, "Too much, too much."

Jane snuggled his hand over her flesh, holding it still to calm her. Then he put his arms around her for a long hug instead. "Just let me hold you for awhile. Come into my arms."

Lisbon snuggled close and wrapped her arms around him, too. To be like this with Patrick, after wanting it for so long was overwhelming. They had both moved just a little too fast in their eager desire.

"I've missed you so much, Lisbon. I didn't know if I'd ever see you again. And to see you like you were, dreaming and calling my name and touching yourself in your sleep . . . it made me burn to give you everything you wanted in your dream. Everything I wanted, too. I didn't mean to overwhelm you like this."

"I'm not. I want you, too. I still want you. In fact, if you think you're getting out of this bed without making love to me, you're very mistaken, Patrick Jane. I didn't know if I'd ever see you again either. So, there's nothing to forgive." She pinched his waist, teasing. "Maybe we're too old to burn that hot."

Now that Lisbon had time to collect her thoughts, she realized she had forgotten something important.

"Jane. I have to ask you this. I mean, now that we're thinking straight, and if we're going to go further . . . Do we need to use a condom? I mean, have you . . . slept with anyone?" She blushed furiously in the dark and Jane could feel the heat of it come over her. "I'm sorry. I'm being silly. Of course you have—"

"No. No. I've been too depressed for that." He held up his left hand, to show that he still wore his ring. "I couldn't even get far enough to deal with this."

"Oh." While Cho had told her he still wore it, she'd always felt it wouldn't surprise her if he wore it for the rest of his life.

"Since you asked me about this in order to see if we should use a condom, I'm assuming that you haven't—"

"No. I kept thinking it would all get worked out and you'd be back. I didn't want anyone else, Patrick."

"You should have moved on."

"You don't mean that."

"I did. But it would have killed me. Thinking of getting back to you someday—it was the only hope in my life." He hesitated. "But what about pregnancy?"

"Pill. I mean, just in case."

Jane smiled and tucked her head under his chin. "I can't stay long, you know."

"I figured as much. You're my second surprise visitor today, you know. Cho was here."

"Right here in this bed?" he teased.

She ignored him. "He says the FBI is making you a job offer."

"Yeah. The way they went about it was pretty ham-handed. The Rule of the Golden Hammer. If all you have is a hammer, treat everything like a nail. I spotted their agent pretty fast. Not many Americans showing up at that remote beach alone."

"So, did you fall for the honey-trap?"

"Ah. So Cho told you it was a woman. Uh. No. They tried hard. Cruel, really. She looked like Angela. Flashed my wedding ring at her first thing. She was nice in her own way, I suppose. Without her, I wouldn't be here with you right now."

Lisbon nodded against his chest. She'd like to see them together for herself before she drew any conclusions.

"Teresa." He waited until she turned her head up to look at him. "The only reason I would come back is for my freedom—"

"Of course."

"No. Let me finish. My freedom to be with you. If I can't be with you, work with you, I'll just slip away again where they can't find me."

"You can't spend your life on the run when you have a chance to come back to a normal life."

"It would never be normal. Not without you, Lisbon. I love you. My every waking thought has been about you. Now that I'm here, with you like this, right now, why would I come back for anything less?"

"You love me?"

"Stunned by love for you. Brought down by it. Craving it. Crawling to you for it."

"No. Stop. I love you, too. I don't want either of us to suffer for it anymore. Of course I'll come work with you so that you can come home to me. If we're together, we can make it great. I'm sure of it."

Jane sniffled.

"No, don't cry, Patrick. It's happy news that we love each other and want to be together."

"It's just that here I am, asking you to sacrifice for me again. I have no right . . . " His voice broke as gasping sobs echoed in his chest while he tried to get control of himself.

Lisbon put her hand on his wet cheek and turned his face towards her. Looking into his watering, red eyes she said, "Hey. Life isn't fair. It doesn't try to figure out how to dole out the favors and the debts. It's up to us to decide what's worth it." She smoothed a few sweaty curls away from his cry-heated forehead. "And sweet, wonderful, amazing Patrick—you're worth it. I love you. Let's each make whatever sacrifices are needed to be together. Neither of us will be stubborn. Or guilty. Okay? What we've built all these years is treasure. And we've suffered enough for it."

He nodded, and then completely let go, crying into her hair as he burrowed against her neck, holding her close. She stroked his head, then wrapped her arm around his side and let him cry it out. When he quieted, she went into the bathroom, returning with a warm, moist cloth and cleaned his face, letting the warmth of it rest on his tear-stung eyes for a bit. When she removed it, she settled against him once again.

Jane kissed the top of her head and stroked her hair. When they had rested a minute or two more, Lisbon rubbed her sex against his hip and cupped his soft male flesh, saying, "I want you."

She felt him come to life under her caressing hand, and when she turned her face up for a kiss he took her lips softly, defining their shape with his own mouth before she opened to him. He feasted on her like a starving man.

This time when he reached between her legs, the desperation had left him and he could rub her steadily to a sobbing pitch as she held onto his cock. Her hand echoed her growing agitation as he worked her with his fingers and kissed her into oblivion. She broke with his fingers inside her. So beautiful in ecstasy, he felt mad to get in her. His voice was a chesty growl in her ear, "Teresa, I want to fuck you until you sing! Let me inside you."

Opening her legs, she held onto his arms, almost bracing herself for the stimulation. "Not too fast. And let me see your eyes." Her voice was nearly breath.

Looking into her eyes darkened by the night and desire, he let himself savor her heat as he nudged the head of his penis into the hot wet, her fire wrapping him and taking his breath. Lisbon watched his eyes dilate as he slowly pushed in, twisting back and forth as he made his way to the bottom of her. Moving up and down, he felt her tighten around him and gasped her name. When she wrapped her legs around his waist and said, "Now!" he set a fast rhythm, riding her as she kept up with him. She arched and froze, body shaking as she gripped him inside, a relentless velvet squeeze that pushed him over the edge, their moans of satisfaction constantly interrupted and magnified by still-hungry kisses.

They separated and Jane settled at her side.

"I have to leave in the morning."

"Don't tell me. You need a ride to the airstrip."

"That would be very nice, yes. With any luck, I'll be back before they know I've gone. And I can tell them I'll take the job. Now that I know . . . "

"That you have something to come back for?"

"Something wonderful. You."

He rested his head on the pillow of her breast and felt at home for the first time in twelve years.


End file.
